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DOCTOR RABBIT 
AND KI-YI COYOTE 



THE GREENWOODS SERIES 

DOCTOR RABBIT 

AND 

KI-Yl COYOTE 


By 

THOMAS CLARK HINKLE 



RAND McNALLY & COMPANY 
CHICAGO 




Copyright, igi8 

By Rand McNally & Company 






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THE CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Doctor Rabbit Gets a Call 1 

In Fear of Ki-Yi Coyote 8 

The Holes Under the Trees 13 

Doctoring Billy Rabbit 17 

Ki-Yi Coyote Chases Doctor Rabbit .... 21 

Doctor Rabbit Gets a Scare 27 

Doctor Rabbit and Jack Rabbit Escape . . 32 

Ki-Yi Coyote Watches for Doctor Rabbit . 38 
Doctor Rabbit Calls on Chatty Squirrel . . 44 

Fooling Ki-Yi Coyote 49 

Ki-Yi Coyote Chases Doctor Rabbit .... 53 

Doctor Rabbit Has a Scheme 59 

The Little Creatures of the Woods Are Excited 64 
Doctor Rabbit Talks with Big Dog Yappy . 70 
Doctor Rabbit Talks with Jack Rabbit . . 77 


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THE CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Old Uncle Owl Gives Good Advice .... 83 

Yappy Chases Ki-Yi Coyote • . 89 

Ki-Yi Coyote’s Strange Hiding Place ... 95 

Catching Ki-Yi Coyote 100 

The Little Creatures of the Woods Are Happy 
Again 103 


\ 


THE ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING PAGE 

“Suppose Mr. Coyote should get after 

me!” 1 • 

“Good day, Mr. Coyote, I have to be 

going!” 28 

“Sakes alive!”- Mr. Squirrel exclaimed. 

“How did you find out?” . . . .46'^ 

Dr. Rabbit . . . was certainly tickled ^ 

about something 60 

Mr. Jack Rabbit began to dance a little ^ 

jig of joy .80 

He ran straight for Mr. Farmer’s corn- 
crib 96 


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DOCTOR RABBIT 

AND 

KI-YI COYOTE 

DOCTOR RABBIT GETS A CALL 

Doctor Rabbit lived in the very biggest 
tree in the Big Green Woods. He looked 
after all the other rabbits when they 
were ill and he doctored quite a number 
of the other little creatures of the Big 
Woods too, when they did not feel well. 
He was so jolly and cheerful, always 
trying so hard to help others, that he 
had a great many friends. 

Doctor Rabbit said when he came to 
live in the Big Green Woods he did n't 
have the least idea that he would have so 
many adventures. ''But then," he said 
one day as he curled his mustache, "it's 


1 


2 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


a good thing I have so many adventures. 
They make me take plenty of exercise, 
and that's fine for my constitution." 
What he meant by this was that exercise 
kept him in good health. 

I said Doctor Rabbit looked after some 
of the other creatures when they were ill. 
But there were some he did not dare go 
near. Well, I should say not! For in- 
stance, there was Ki-yi Coyote, who lived 
out on the Wide Prairie just outside the 
Big Green Woods. No, Doctor Rabbit 
never went near Ki-yi Coyote. And if 
old Ki-yi had been ill and if all his rela- 
tives had been so ill they never again 
would be able to get out of bed. Doctor 
Rabbit would not have cared at all. 
No indeed, he would have been glad of 
it, because Ki-yi Coyote and all his rela- 
tives, who lived far away, were ready 
any time to gobble up Doctor Rabbit. 


AND KI-YI COYOTE . 3 

Now, one fine morning in spring Doctor 
Rabbit began to have trouble with Ki-yi. 
On this morning Doctor Rabbit arose 
from his bed very early and prepared a 
fine breakfast for himself. He cooked 
some nice new potatoes and green peas 
he had found in Farmer Roe's garden. 
After he had eaten his breakfast he had 
to wash the dishes because there was n't 
anybody else to do it. You see, he lived 
all alone in the big tree. He didn't 
like to wash dishes but he did it anyway. 
Then he put on his second best pair of 
glasses and went out in his front yard to 
get some fresh air and see if his neighbor. 
Blue Jay, was up. 

There was a very good reason why he 
wanted to know whether Blue Jay was 
up. Just now Doctor Rabbit was greatly 
troubled. Now, what do you suppose 
he was troubled about? Why, word had 


4 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


been brought the night before that Billy- 
Rabbit, the small son of Jack and Mrs. 
Jack Rabbit, who lived far out on the 
Wide Prairie, was ill. Blue Jay had 
come flying in to tell the news. He said 
Mrs. Jack Rabbit told him if Billy was 
not better by morning Doctor Rabbit 
would simply have to cross the Wide 
Prairie even if it was dangerous. 

Now Doctor Rabbit was a cottontail 
rabbit, so of course he could n't run faster 
than any other cottontail. He could not 
run anything like so fast nor so far as 
could Jack Rabbit. So Doctor Rabbit 
was greatly troubled this morning. He 
could not sit still, but kept walking 
slowly round and round in his front 
yard. As he walked round and round he 
said to himself, ‘‘ I Ve never been so far 
out on the open Wide Prairie as Jack 
Rabbit’s. Suppose I should go away out 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


5 


there to see little sick Billy and Ki-yi 
Coyote should get after me! Goodness 
gracious! He would be almost sure to 
catch me/' Doctor Rabbit trembled a 
little and looked all around even though 
he was right in his own dooryard. He 
very much hoped he would not be called 
to go so far out on the Wide Prairie. 

But what he feared happened. Very 
soon Jack Rabbit came running fast, and 
flying right along with him came Blue 
Jay. Busy Blue Jay generally knows 
everything that is happening. 

Jack Rabbit walked straight up to 
Doctor Rabbit and, bowing politely, said: 

‘H'm so glad I found you at home. 
Doctor. My son Billy is no better. In 
fact, he is much worse, and we are 
troubled about him. Can't you run over 
and see him right now?" 

For a moment Doctor Rabbit did not 


6 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


know what to say. He feared Ki-yi 
Coyote, but at the same time he hated 
to think of Billy Rabbit's being so ill 
with no one there to make him well. 
He thought and thought. Finally he 
said: 

‘‘Of course, Friend Jack Rabbit, I shall 
try to get over to see your son. But as 
you know, it's very dangerous for me 
because I can't run more than half as fast 
as you can. Now what could we do if 
old Ki-yi Coyote should happen to get 
after us?" 

Friend Jack Rabbit scratched his head 
and said he had n't thought about that. 
It was a very serious matter, too. For 
suppose Ki-yi Coyote should gobble up 
good Doctor Rabbit! Then what would 
the woods creatures do? They must 
certainly plan some means of going in 
safety. 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 7 

‘‘Say!” said Doctor Rabbit suddenly, 
“Tve thought of a plan. Til just ride 
on your back and we'll get there in no 
time!” 

But Friend Jack Rabbit scratched his 
head again. He wasn't sure he could 
carry Doctor Rabbit, because the Doctor 
was very portly — that is, he was pretty 
fat and heavy. But anyway he agreed 
to try the plan. So Doctor Rabbit hur- 
ried into his house and put on his best 
pair of gold glasses and his best clothes. 
He always liked, he said, to look his best 
before his patients. Then with his medi- 
cine case in hand he sprang upon Jack 
Rabbit's back. 

“See how fast you can run to the edge 
of the Big Green Woods. That will be 
a good test!” shouted Doctor Rabbit, 
and Jack Rabbit answered, “Very well. 
If you're ready I'll try!” 


IN FEAR OF KI-YI COYOTE 
Just as Jack Rabbit started for the 
edge of the Big Green Woods with Doctor 
Rabbit on his back, Blue Jay flew along 
ahead of them. Then came Robin-the- 
Red, whistling Red Bird and others. 
They had never seen Doctor Rabbit ride 
before and they all laughed and shouted 
at the funny appearance he made. 

Away went Jack Rabbit as fast as he 
could for the edge of the Woods. 

‘‘This is fine!'’ cried Doctor Rabbit. 
“Keep it up, Jack Rabbit, and we'll be 
at your house in a jiffy!" 

“Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Blue Jay and 
the others as they flew along near the 
ground watching them. “Look at Doc- 
tor Rabbit in his new automobile! Look 
at him!" they shouted. Then they all 


8 


KI-YI COYOTE 


9 


laughed again. As they raced along 
Stubby Woodchuck came out of his house 
to see the funny sight, and so did Cheepy 
Chipmunk and Chatty Red Squirrel and 
Frisky Gray Squirrel and many others. 

They all wondered if Jack Rabbit 
could hold out carrying Doctor Rabbit so 
far. They thought he must be mighty 
strong if he could. But when he reached 
the edge of the woods he stopped and 
said he would have to give it up. He 
lay down and panted for a while. By 
and by he said he had n't the least idea 
that Doctor Rabbit was so heavy. In- 
deed, he said it seemed as if he was carry- 
ing a house on his back by the time he 
reached the edge of the woods. 

Then they talked the matter over and 
decided they would both walk — or run 
if they had to. Doctor Rabbit was a 
good deal worried. He looked out across 


10 DOCTOR RABBIT 

the Wide Prairie and saw how far it was 
to Jack Rabbit's little house. How he 
did hate to start! Then he had an idea. 
He saw several small trees out on the 
Prairie some distance apart. ‘‘ Say 1 Jack 
Rabbit," said he, 'H wonder if there are 
any holes among the roots of those trees 
so I could ‘hole up' [he meant run into 
a hole] if I had to. I mean if Ki-yi 
Coyote should get after us." 

“Sure enough!" cried Jack Rabbit. 
“The rain has washed bare the top roots 
of every one of those trees and there are 
two or three holes under every tree!" 

Doctor Rabbit looked very straight 
at Jack Rabbit and said, “Now are 
you right sure about that?" 

“Yes, I am sure," Jack Rabbit said; 
“as sure as anything. It happens that 
I was at every one of those trees just 
yesterday and I sniffed and snuffed 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 11 

round every one of those holes. I did n’t 
go into any of them for I don’t like to go 
into holes. But those holes are certainly 
there. And if Ki-yi Coyote should get 
after us when we get pretty well out on 
the Prairie, you could make for a tree 
and I’d let him chase me. I’m not 
much afraid of him because I’ve run 
away from him many a time.” 

'‘All right,” agreed Doctor Rabbit. 
“We’ll go straight for the first tree. 
When we get there we’ll look all around 
for the least sign of slinky Ki-yi, and if 
we don’t see anything we’ll move on to 
the next tree.” 

“Sure thing,” Jack Rabbit said; “that 
will make you as safe as anything.” So 
they started out. As they hurried along 
Jack Rabbit said: 

“When we leave the last tree we’ll 
have only a little way to go to my home. 


12 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


It's just a little farther on beside an oak 
fence post." 

So they kept going, hoppity, hoppity, 
hop. And as they went Doctor Rabbit's 
courage rose little by little. After all, 
thought he, perhaps Ki-yi Coyote would 
not see them. 

Even so, he kept a sharp eye out for 
anything that might be moving in the 
grass. And he told Jack Rabbit to do 
the same. 

‘'Indeed I will, sir," Jack Rabbit 
answered. “I always do look out. I 
should say I do! And if Ki-yi Coyote 
starts up I'll see him quick as a flash!" 

Then they hurried a bit faster because 
Doctor Rabbit said he wanted to get to 
the first tree and examine the holes for 
himself. 


THE HOLES UNDER THE TREES 
Doctor Rabbit and Mr. Jack Rabbit 
moved across the Wide Prairie and 
looked about them in every direction. 
There was a great deal of bunch grass 
on the Wide Prairie, and this made them 
very nervous. They knew how easy it 
would be for Ki-yi Coyote to hide behind 
one of those bunches of grass until an 
innocent rabbit came very near. 

Doctor Rabbit stopped and said, ‘H 
really believe we should keep just as far 
as possible from every bunch of grass.’' 
Then he jumped backward, because he 
saw something moving in the grass. 
But it proved to be nothing but a sun- 
flower; so they walked on. 

By and by they came to the first tree, 
and how glad they were ! Doctor Rabbit 

13 


14 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


went into the hole there to look about. 
After a little time he came out and said 
a gray squirrel had been there, but it 
had been a good while before. He said 
it looked to him like an old house that 
people had lived in once', but not for a 
long time. You know how the grass 
grows up tall in the front yard, and the 
windows get broken, and the doors creak 
when you open them, and there is a 
damp, musty smell in a house. Well, 
Doctor Rabbit said it was that way in 
the hole under the tree. Some animal, 
a gray squirrel, maybe, had lived there, 
and perhaps some, other small animal 
before the gray squirrel; but they were 
gone now. 

Doctor Rabbit said there was one thing 
that bothered him a little. 

''What's that?" Friend Jack Rabbit 
wanted to know. "Why," replied wise 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 15 

Doctor Rabbit, I was just thinking that 
possibly Ki-yi Coyote knows who lived 
here, and why they are gone. Maybe he 
made a breakfast of them!'’ 

They did n't say any more about that 
part of it, and pretty soon they came to 
the next tree. Doctor Rabbit went into 
the hole here, also. He was gone so 
long that Jack Rabbit began to be quite 
troubled; but finally Doctor Rabbit came 
out and said a cottontail rabbit had been 
in there, but it had been a good while 
ago. He thought it likely that old 
Ki-yi Coyote had gobbled up the cotton- 
tail who had lived there. 

'‘However," Doctor Rabbit said, "pos- 
sibly he got away." Then he exclaimed, 
"I surely hope he got away." 

Doctor Rabbit looked into the holes 
under the other two trees, and said some 
small animals had once lived in them. 


16 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


All this naturally made Doctor Rabbit 
more and more nervous. It looked as 
if no animal was safe out so far on the 
Wide Prairie but fleet Jack Rabbit, and 
even he had to watch out mighty close. 

When they left the last tree, Doctor 
Rabbit said, ‘‘Now let's run good and 
fast the rest of the way!" 

And they did — hoppity, hoppity, hop- 
pity, so fast that they looked like two 
long gray streaks going toward Jack 
^ Rabbit's home. 


DOCTORING BILLY RABBIT 

When Doctor Rabbit at last reached 
Jack Rabbit’s home, he found Billy Rab- 
bit was suffering with nothing more than 
a case of acute indigestion— that is, colic. 
Doctor Rabbit said this was caused by 
Billy’s having eaten too many green 
peas from Farmer Roe’s garden. 

Mrs. Jack Rabbit explained that kind 
friends and neighbors had brought in all 
sorts of patent medicines. These medi- 
cines, they said, had cured many of their 
family, even some who had lived before 
they were bom. 

‘‘But,” said Mrs. Jack Rabbit, looking 
seriously at Doctor Rabbit, “although I 
gave Billy all the medicine they brought, 
he is no better. In fact, he is worse.” 

Doctor Rabbit looked at Billy Rabbit 


17 


18 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


and then looked over his gold glasses at 
the neighbors and friends standing all 
around. Then he said, ‘‘He grew worse, 
did he? Ahem! ahem! he grew worse! 
I see! I see! Well, to tell you the 
truth, Mrs. Jack Rabbit, after all that 
dope I should think he would grow 
worse!'’ 

Well, that was pretty plain. Some of 
the neighbors wanted to let it be known 
that they were angry, but they didn't 
dare. No, you see their own work on 
Billy Rabbit was a failure. They had 
sent for the doctor, and they had to do 
just what he said. 

So they all kept still, and Doctor 
Rabbit, after he had cleared his throat 
in a very dignified way, said, “Mrs. Jack 
Rabbit, I would thank you for a table- 
spoon." 

When he got the tablespoon. Doctor 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 19 

Rabbit gave Billy Rabbit about the 
nastiest tasting medicine in the world. 
Now, guess what it was! Castor Oil? 
That’s right, you guessed it the first 
time! Yes, that’s exactly what Doctor 
Rabbit gave him — a whole tablespoonful. 

Billy Rabbit swallowed the whole 
spoonful before he knew what it was. 
Then, although he had before been lying 
quite still, he jumped around in the bed, 
kicked off the covers, and said he never 
would take another dose of medicine in 
his life. 

But Doctor Rabbit just laughed and 
said that was the way little sick rabbits 
usually talked. Then Doctor Rabbit 
ordered some grass tea for his patient, 
and no more green peas for a whole week. 
‘‘I shall have to be going now,” he said, 
'‘and how I do wish I were back in the 
Big Green Woods!” 


20 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


Now all the jack rabbit neighbors were 
feeling pretty friendly by this time, be- 
cause they saw that Doctor Rabbit 
really was a very smart doctor. They 
all wanted to go along with him for his 
protection. 

But Doctor Rabbit said, ‘'No, that 
will do no good. Ki-yi Coyote would 
see all of us sooner than two of us. 
Friend Jack Rabbit and I will go back 
alone.” 

So the two of them started back toward 
the woods. 


KI-YI COYOTE CHASES 
DOCTOR RABBIT 

Doctor Rabbit and Jack Rabbit hur- 
ried along across the Wide Prairie until 
they came to the first tree. Here Doctor 
Rabbit said they had better stop and 
look around a bit. So cautious Jack 
Rabbit went up on a little hill and looked 
all around, but he said he could n't see 
a thing. 

''Did you look mighty close in the 
direction of the Big Green Woods?" 
Doctor Rabbit wanted to know. (You 
see this was the direction in which they 
were going.) 

"Indeed, I did look!" replied Jack 
Rabbit. " I looked more closely in that 
direction than in any other, and there 
was n't a thing in sight." 


21 


22 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


‘‘All right/' said Doctor Rabbit, “we'll 
go for the next tree." 

They came safely to the next tree, and 
pretty soon they came to the last tree. 
Doctor Rabbit was feeling fine now. 
They stopped by the tree and talked for 
a little while. 

Doctor Rabbit said, “I don't think I 
should care much if Ki-yi Coyote did 
come after us. I could run away from 
him and be in the Big Green Woods in 
no time!" 

But Jack Rabbit had run away from 
Ki-yi Coyote a good many times, and he 
knew. So he said pretty seriously, “I 
don’t know about that. Doctor Rabbit. 
Ki-yi can run something awful." 

“I know," said Doctor Rabbit, “but 
the Big Green Woods look so close that 
I feel sure I could beat him that far." 

Then what do you suppose he said? 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 23 

Well, he did n’t realize what he was say- 
ing, of course, but this is what he said: 
“Ha, ha, ha! Why, Friend Jack Rabbit, 
I feel so sure about it that I wish old 
Ki-yi would come tearing out this way 
right now! Yes, sir! I wish he would. 
Just let him come whenever he wants to. 
If he came, I ’d run away and be in the 
Big Green Woods so quick he could 
hardly see me.” 

And then something happened, some- 
thing that Doctor Rabbit was not ready 
for at all, because he really was not 
expecting it. Just then Ki-yi Coyote did. 
come tearing over the great Wide Prairie 
after them. And he came from the direc- 
tion of the Big Green Woods! Doctor 
Rabbit had forgotten all about that. 
He certainly was very much surprised, 
and very badly scared. He could have 
darted into the hole under the tree, of 


24 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


course, and that is just what he should 
have done. But sometimes when rab- 
bits, like little boys and girls, get scared, 
they forget all about what is the best 
thing to do. What Doctor Rabbit ought 
to have done the very first thing when 
he saw Ki-yi coming was to say to him- 
self, ‘‘Now, I must n't be so scared that I 
don't know what I 'm doing. I must be 
careful and get out of this, because I 
have no one to help me." 

But he did n't stop to think. No, he 
was so frightened he just hiked out 
across the Wide Prairie! 

Then kind Jack Rabbit was certainly 
scared, not for himself, but for Doctor 
Rabbit. So he started out after Doctor 
Rabbit, and when he caught up he 
shouted in his ear as loud as he could, 
“What's the matter with you, Doctor 
Rabbit? You must be crazy! Now, I 'll 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 25 

take care of Ki-yi Coyote and you dodge 
back for that hole under the tree/ ’ Then 
Doctor Rabbit remembered. Crafty 
Ki-yi was right close and tried hard to 
seize him, but he didn't, and Doctor 
Rabbit darted safely into the hole. 

It was a mighty close call. Ki-yi 
Coyote's sharp teeth had snapped twice 
at Doctor Rabbit, once so close that some 
of his tiny round tail was bitten off. 

All this time clever Jack Rabbit was 
close beside Doctor Rabbit, shouting 
(just to fool Ki-yi Coyote, of course), 
‘‘Oh, my! I've got a broken leg! I've 
got a broken leg! What shall I do if 
Ki-yi Coyote comes after me! Oh, good 
Ki-yi, please don't come after me, 'cause 
I've got a broken leg!" 

Well, if it had n't been for this, I think 
that Ki-yi would certainly have caught 
Doctor Rabbit, but after he had missed 


26 DOCTOR RABBIT 

him once, and was just going for him 
again, he heard Jack Rabbit’s moan. So 
he said, “I’ll go after Jack Rabbit. He 
has a broken leg, and I can catch him 
without half trying.” And off he started 
after Jack Rabbit. 


DOCTOR RABBIT GETS A SCARE 

When Jack Rabbit saw that Ki-yi 
Coyote was after him, he started away 
on three legs for all the world as if one 
of his legs was broken. It was very easy 
for him to play this little joke, because 
he had practiced it a good deal when a 
small dog got after him. 

'‘Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear! what 
shall I do?'' clever Jack Rabbit shouted 
back toward Ki-yi Coyote; and old Ki-yi 
thought now he would surely have rabbit 
for dinner. So he ran as hard as ever he 
could. 

" Ha ! ha ! " he yelled. " I always knew 
you 'd break your leg some time, and I 'd 
get you. Ha! ha! Now I'm going to 
have a nice, big, fat rabbit for dinner!" 
And Ki-yi Coyote took a long, swift jump 


27 


28 DOCTOR RABBIT 

to seize Jack Rabbit — but he wasn’t 
there! He was farther away than ever. 
And much to Ki-yi’s surprise and anger, 
Jack Rabbit put all four legs down on 
the ground and said as he ran, “So 
you’re going to have rabbit for dinner, 
are you? Well, it won’t be me, and it 
won’t be Doctor Rabbit, for he’s safe. 
Good day, Ki-yi; I must be going!’’ 

And away Jack Rabbit went running. 
But he was n’t to get away so easily this 
time, after all. Ki-yi was most terribly 
angry, and he made up his mind to chase 
Jack Rabbit just as long as he could 
see him. 

In the meantime. Doctor Rabbit lay 
down on the cool earth in the hole, and 
panted and panted. He was dreadfully 
tired and frightened from his run for life. 
He kept thinking that Ki-yi would 
thrust his long nose into the hole and 



sjAA'VV 


Good day, Mr. Ccyote, 

I Kave tote going! 





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AND KI-YI COYOTE 29 

begin digging to get in. But Ki-yi 
did nT, of course. 

After Doctor Rabbit had rested a few 
minutes he began to be anxious to know 
what had become of Friend Jack Rabbit. 
Had Ki-yi by any chance caught him? 
Doctor Rabbit was scared even to think 
about it. He decided he would try to 
find out what had happened. So he 
crept very cautiously toward the opening 
of the hole and peeped out. First he put 
only his nose out. Then he put his whole 
head out, and looked all around. 

He had about decided that swift Jack 
Rabbit had given old Ki-yi the slip. 
''Guess rd better hike for the Big Green 
Woods,'' said Doctor Rabbit to himself, 
and he was just going to start when he 
saw something that made him change 
his mind mighty quick. And this time 
he did n't run for the Big Green Woods, 


30 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


either. I should say he did n’t! No, he 
just backed part way into the hole under 
the tree, and then stretched up his head 
and watched what was coming. 

What Doctor Rabbit saw was poor 
Jack Rabbit running as hard as he could, 
and Ki-yi Coyote still after him! 

As he came on toward the tree. Jack 
Rabbit shouted out ever so loud, ‘‘ Doctor 
Rabbit 1 Doctor Rabbit ! Come out and 
help me a little. I ’m about to be caught ! 
It’s my rheumatism. He’s almost got 
me now!” And just then Jack Rabbit 
had to dodge very quickly to keep from 
being caught. 

It certainly looked very bad for poor 
Jack Rabbit, and right then Ki-yi Coyote 
came very near seizing him again! Doc- 
tor Rabbit was almost too scared to 
breathe. He did n’t know what on earth 
to do except to spring out and let Ki-yi 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


31 


chase him instead. And he was about 
to do this when he thought of something 
else. So he just lay low and waited while 
Jack Rabbit came running nearer and 
nearer the tree. 


DOCTOR RABBIT 
AND JACK RABBIT ESCAPE 

While Jack Rabbit, with Ki-yi Coyote 
close after him, was running toward the 
tree. Doctor Rabbit shouted out, “Come 
right past this tree. Jack Rabbit! Come 
right past this tree! Fve got a plan! 
Come right along. Til help you. Come 
on! Come on!’' 

That encouraged Friend Jack Rabbit 
wonderfully. He took a few extra long 
jumps and managed to get a little farther 
ahead of Ki-yi Coyote. Of course he 
didn’t know what Doctor Rabbit was 
going to do, but Jack Rabbit always had 
great faith in Doctor Rabbit. So he 
ran right past the hole under the tree. 

Then, just as crafty Ki-yi was going by 
with his mouth wide open and his tongue 

32 


KI-YI COYOTE 


33 


hanging out, Doctor Rabbit sprang up 
and threw a whole bottle of his very 
nastiest medicine right into Ki-yi's face! 

Well, you should have seen old Ki-yi 
then. He was more surprised than he 
ever had been before in his life. And 
mad! He was about the maddest coyote 
you ever heard of. His mouth had been 
wide open, so of course he got most of 
the medicine there. It tasted so nasty 
he stopped just a moment to try to get it 
out of his mouth, but when he found he 
couldn't, he started out after Doctor 
Rabbit. He was angrier than ever, and 
ran as hard as he could run. 

Just as soon as Doctor Rabbit had 
thrown the bad-tasting medicine in Ki-yi 
Coyote's face, he started out for the Big 
Green Woods as fast as his legs could 
carry him. Jack Rabbit had dodged 
over a little hill and was out of sight. 


34 DOCTOR RABBIT 

When angry Ki-yi started after him 
again Doctor Rabbit was already near 
the Big Green Woods, so he looked back 
and just laughed and shouted. Ha, ha, 
ha he laughed. ‘‘ I guess you Te pretty 
mad, are nT you, Mr. Ki-yi? Ha, ha, 
ha! How do you like the medicine? Is 
it as good as — as good as jack rabbit? 
Ha, ha, ha!'' And with that. Doctor 
Rabbit bounded into the Big Green 
Woods, and whisked out of sight. 

As Doctor Rabbit ran along, he met 
Jack Rabbit, who also had managed to 
get into the woods. They both kept 
running until they reached Doctor Rab- 
bit's home in the big tree. 

Here tired Jack Rabbit threw himself 
down on the grass and panted for a long 
while. He said it was about the hardest 
race* he ever had had in his life, and that 
he guessed he must be getting old, for 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


35 


he could n’t run as fast as he used to. 
But after Doctor Rabbit had brought 
out some liniment and rubbed him well, 
Jack Rabbit said he felt better. Then 
after he had eaten a good dinner with 
Doctor Rabbit, he said he felt so fine he 
believed he could run away from Ki-yi 
Coyote and not half try. 

“What I need,” said Jack Rabbit, “is 
a little of that liniment around the house, 
so my wife could rub me with it now and 
then. I believe it would cure my rheu- 
matism.” 

“I am quite certain of it,” Doctor 
Rabbit told him, and he wrapped up a 
bottle of it right away and gave it to 
Jack Rabbit to take home with him. 
After that they sat down and talked. 

“I wish,” said Jack Rabbit then, 
“that there were some way to run Ki-yi 
Coyote clear out of the Wide Prairie, or 


36 DOCTOR RABBIT 

some way to get rid of him altogether.” 

Doctor Rabbit was leaning against a 
tree curling his mustache and frowning 
a little. When he was thinking hard, he 
usually did frown. “I’ve been thinking 
about that, Friend Jack Rabbit,” he 
said, “ and I believe I know a way to get 
rid of crafty Ki-yi, so he’ll never bother 
us again.” 

“You do?” exclaimed Jack Rabbit 
eagerly, pricking up his long ears. 
“What is your plan?” 

Doctor Rabbit dropped his voice to a 
whisper and said, “ I have n’t thought it 
all out yet, but I will right soon, and I ’ll 
let you krlow.” Then he looked through 
the trees toward the edge of the woods, 
and pointing one front foot, said: 

“Look! look! Ki-yi’s sneaking along 
out there now!” Jack Rabbit looked 
quickly, and sure enough, Ki-yi Coyote 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 37 

was slipping along and peering into the 
woods. 

“He does n’t see us at all,” whispered 
Jack Rabbit, “and I think I’ll skip out 
and go while I know where he is. Now, 
when you decide how you’re going to run 
him out of the Wide Prairie and get rid 
of him, let nie know, will you?” 

“I surely will,” Doctor Rabbit said, 
“and I’ll have it all thought out by 
morning.” 

Then Jack Rabbit slipped away to 
tell all his friends and relatives that in 
some way, he did n’t just yet know how. 
Doctor Rabbit was going to get rid of 
Ki-yi Coyote. 


KI-YI COYOTE WATCHES FOR 
DOCTOR RABBIT 
It was just as Doctor Rabbit had ex- 
pected. He had not told Jack Rabbit 
about it, but that very night Ki-yi 
Coyote came prowling around, just as 
Doctor Rabbit thought he would. 

Doctor Rabbit was in bed, but he had 
not gone to sleep, when he heard a noise 
out in his front yard. Very quietly he 
put his head out of an upstairs window. 

Sure enough! There was slinky Ki-yi 
walking around out there and mumbling 
to himself. He was saying, I know well 
enough he lives here. I can smell his 
tracks, and I can smell rabbit, too, as 
plain as anything. He's gone to bed 
now, no doubt, so I'll hide out here 
and pay him a call in the morning." 

38 


KI-YI COYOTE 


39 


'‘He, he, he!*' Ki-yi chuckled softly to 
himself. He was so tickled to think he 
had found where Doctor Rabbit lived. 
He thought now it would be easy to sur- 
prise Doctor Rabbit and make a break- 
fast of him. 

Only a little distance away flowed the 
Murmuring Brook, where Doctor Rabbit 
went every morning for a drink. 

There was a path that led from Doctor 
Rabbit's house to the brook, and Ki-yi 
Coyote thought he would hide right be- 
side the path in the bushes. Then when 
Doctor Rabbit came along in the morn- 
ing, he could pounce upon him and have 
him for breakfast. 

So sly Ki-yi picked out a good place 
near the path and lay down to wait until 
morning. 

“I suppose I'll get pretty tired wait- 
ing," he said, "but a big fat rabbit for 


40 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


breakfast is worth waiting for.” And 
he smacked his lips at the very thought 
of it. Then he said, “My! I haven’t 
tasted rabbit for two whole months. 
Yes, indeed. I’ll wait right here until 
morning!” And again Ki-yi smacked 
his lips. 

Now it so happened that Downy 
Screech Owl was in the tree right above 
Ki-yi Coyote, and heard what he said. 

“Get out of my woods!” Downy 
Screech Owl cried, in his strange voice. 

Old Ki-yi jumped, he was so startled. 
Then he looked up and saw who it was. 
“Never mind. Screechy,” he said, in his 
smoothest voice, “I just came in for a 
cool drink at the Murmuring Brook and 
a little nap here.” 

“You can’t fool me!” Downy Owl 
cried back in his very strange voice. 
“You’re after something, and I know it! 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 41 

I know whom you are after, too. You 
are after — 

Right here Downy Screech Owl stopped 
talking. He happened to think he might 
say something that would get Doctor 
Rabbit into trouble. So he made up his 
mind to keep still for the present, and slip 
over in a little while and tell Doctor 
Rabbit where Ki-yi Coyote was. You 
see. Downy Owl did n't know that Doctor 
Rabbit was awake. He did n't know 
that Ki-yi Coyote had even been seen 
by anybody else. 

Downy Screech Owl waited until Ki-yi 
Coyote curled himself up, as if for a nap, 
and then flew around to Doctor Rabbit's 
back door and knocked very gently. 

Doctor Rabbit opened the door only 
a very little crack, but when he saw who 
it was, he let Downy Owl in. And 
Downy began right away, for he was 


42 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


very much excited: ‘‘Ki-yi Coyote is 
right out there, hiding by the path, wait- 
ing for you!’' he said. 

But to his surprise. Doctor Rabbit 
answered, '' I know it. I Ve been watch- 
ing him all the time!” 

‘'My, I’m certainly glad you have,” 
said Downy Screech Owl; “but what are 
you going to do?” 

“Don’t talk so loud!” Doctor Rabbit 
warned. “I’m going to do this: I’m 
going to fool old Ki-yi worse than he 
ever was fooled before in his life. The 
first joke 1 play on him will be funny. 
But the second joke I play on him will 
take him clear away from the Big Green 
Woods and the Wide Prairie for good 
and all.” 

“My goodness me!” was all Downy 
Screech Owl could say, he was so puzzled. 
“How are you going to play the jokes on 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 43 

sly Ki-yi, and what are the jokes?'' he 
wanted to know. 

'‘Never mind now," Doctor Rabbit 
whispered; "you just slip back and see 
if Ki-yi is still there. If he is, try to 
keep him there." 


DOCTOR RABBIT CALLS ON 
CHATTY SQUIRREL 
Little Downy Owl flew back to the tree. 
There was Ki-yi Coyote still lying below 
on the grass, all curled up just as if he 
were fast asleep. Downy Screech Owl 
looked at him for a while and then, out 
of curiosity, flew down on a limb a little 
closer. Still Ki-yi Coyote did not move, 
so Downy Owl flew a little closer. Just 
then he saw sly Ki-yi move his ear the 
tiniest bit, and heard him mumble some- 
thing to himself. Little Downy flew up 
high in the tree as quick as winking. 

‘HJl just wait,” he said very softly to 
himself, ‘‘and if old Ki-yi starts to go 
away. Til talk to him and try to keep 
him here until I see what Doctor Rabbit 
is going to do.” 


44 


KI-YI COYOTE 


45 


When it was almost morning, Doctor 
Rabbit got out of bed and peeped out 
toward the place where Ki-yi had been. 
Yes, sir! He was still there. Indeed, he 
was. Doctor Rabbit saw him stretch 
his head up and look toward the house 
in the tree. 

Doctor Rabbit was so tickled he just 
laughed to himself. Then he slipped out 
at his back door and went very quietly 
through the woods until he came to the 
tree where Chatty Red Squirrel lived. 

Chatty Red was still asleep, but when 
Doctor Rabbit thumped on the door, he 
came down to see who was there. When 
he saw Doctor Rabbit, he said, Anyone 
sick over this way. Doctor?'' 

‘‘No," said Doctor Rabbit, “I just 
wanted you to help me out a little." 

certainly will, if I can," Chatty 
Squirrel said. You see, he had once had 


46 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


the colic very bad, and Doctor Rabbit 
had come right over and cured him, so 
he felt deeply grateful. ‘‘What do you 
want me to do?'' Chatty asked. 

“Well," Doctor Rabbit said, “first I 
want to tell you that Ki-yi Coyote is in 
the Big Green Woods. In fact, he's 
hiding near my house this very minute, 
and expects to make a breakfast of me 
when I go down to the Murmuring 
Brook for a drink." 

“Sakes alive!" Chatty exclaimed. 
“How did you find out?" 

Then Doctor Rabbit told him that he 
had been awake and listening, and that 
Downy Screech Owl was up in the tree 
watching Ki-yi, and if necessary would 
talk to him to keep him there. 

“Well, well, well!" exclaimed Chatty 
Squirrel, rubbing his eyes. He had 
hardly been awake when Doctor Rabbit 



Sakes 

^Mr.5quirrel exclaimed. 
How did^ou find out ? 



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AND KI-YI COYOTE 


47 


knocked on the door, but now he was 
getting wider awake every minute. 
‘'What do you want me to do?'' Chatty 
asked again, with his eyes wide open 
and very bright. 

“First I want to play a joke on him," 
said Doctor Rabbit, “and I'll tell you 
how to do it. Ki-yi is now right under 
that big elm tree between my house and 
the Murmuring Brook. You slip over 
through the trees as quick as you can 
and climb up to that old nest Jim Crow 
used to live in. There's a stone. in the 
nest that Farmer Roe's boy threw at 
you the other day. Do you remember? " 

“Indeed I do remember, because 
Farmer Roe's boy almost hit me with 
that stone," Chatty Squirrel said. 

“Very well, then," said Doctor Rabbit, 
“you get into that nest and get hold of 
that stone, and when you have a good 


48 DOCTOR RABBIT 

chance, drop it down right on Ki-yi 
Coyote. Then lie flat on the limb and 
keep perfectly still, so he won't know 
where the stone came from." 

'‘But where are you going to be, and 
what will you do?" Chatty Squirrel 
wanted to know. He was very nervous 
about it. 

" You wait and see; I 'll attend to that," 
Doctor Rabbit said softly. "And now 
you hurry along before Ki-yi Coyote 
decides to go away." 


FOOLING KLYI COYOTE 

Chatty Red Squirrel remembered well 
enough how Farmer Roe’s boy had 
thrown that rock up at him a few days 
before when he had taken refuge in Jim 
Crow’s old nest. 

It so happened that Chatty Squirrel 
was not much hurt. In fact he was only 
bruised a little when the stone fell into 
the nest. But he had been badly scared 
— indeed he had, because the stone was 
big enough to do him terrible harm if it 
had struck him squarely. 

Chatty Squirrel thought it would be a 
mighty fine joke to slip over and drop 
that stone on Ki-yi Coyote. He natur- 
ally hated old Ki-yi as much as anybody, 
because for breakfast— or just any time 
— Ki-yi was quite as fond of tender 


49 


50 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


squirrel as he was of fat little rabbit or 
juicy little owl. 

So when Doctor Rabbit slipped away 
toward a little bridge over the Murmur- 
ing Brook, Chatty Squirrel started off 
through the tree tops toward the big elm 
under which Ki-yi Coyote lay waiting. 

It was just daylight when Chatty Red 
reached the big elm and got into the old 
crow’s nest where the stone was. He 
peeped over the edge of the nest and 
down. Yes, sir! There was old Ki-yi 
Coyote! He had his ears pricked up, 
and he was squinting through the trees 
toward Doctor Rabbit’s house. 

‘‘ He ’ll come this way now, very soon ! ” 
greedy Ki-yi said, and smacked his lips. 
Chatty heard him, and was so angry 
he almost scolded out loud. But he 
did n’t. He kept perfectly still and 
thought about the stone. Ki-yi Coyote 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


51 


moved a little, and now he was right 
under the old crow’s nest. 

Chatty Red wondered where Doctor 
Rabbit was, and looked down on the 
ground and all around, but he could n’t 
see him. 

“I’ll obey orders, anyway,” Chatty 
whispered to himself, and he got his 
nose under the stone and began to work 
it toward the edge of the nest. 

Ki-yi Coyote did n’t know what was 
going on, of course, so he just lay still, 
smacked his lips, and kept a sharp eye 
on Doctor Rabbit’s house. 

After a little work. Chatty Squirrel got 
the stone to the edge of the nest, and then 
just as Ki-yi Coyote stretched his head 
a little, . Chatty pushed the big stone 
over. Kerplunk! the stone hit Ki-yi 
right on the ear! Well, he was about 
the scaredest coyote that ever was. He 


52 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


yelped and sprang up in the air, and 
jumped all around. 

Then right from the other side of the 
Murmuring Brook came the voice of 
Doctor Rabbit. '‘Ha, ha, ha! Well, 
well, foxy Ki-yi, what made you jump 
so? Ha, ha, ha! guess you did n’t know 
I could throw so straight! Ha, ha, ha!” 

Naturally Ki-yi Coyote thought Doc- 
tor Rabbit had thrown the stone, and he 
was terribly angry. Away he started. 
Yes, sir, he just ground his teeth and 
said he certainly would get Doctor 
Rabbit, and get him in a hurry, too. 
But luckily Murmuring Brook was be- 
tween them, so Doctor Rabbit laughed 
and shouted again and darted out of 
sight in the woods. 


KI-YL COYOTE CHASES 
DOCTOR RABBIT 

As soon as Ki-yi Coyote started after 
Doctor Rabbit, Chatty Squirrel began 
scolding as hard as he could. Ki-yi 
was running so fast he did n't hear, but 
Chatty scolded anyway. It seemed to 
relieve his angry feelings. 

My ! How angry Chatty Squirrel was ! 
He was angrier than he had ever been in 
all his life before. 

'‘The idea," Chatty Squirrel scolded, 
"of Ki-yi Coyote's coming into the Big 
Green Woods to make a breakfast of 
Doctor Rabbit! And he would make a 
breakfast of me, too, or of Blue Jay, or 
of any of us, if he had a chance. I wish 
I were as big as the big brown bear for 
a minute. I'd show old Ki-yi Coyote!" 


53 


54 DOCTOR RABBIT 

And Chatty Squirrel scolded so fast 
and so loud that presently his neighbors 
heard him and came flocking around to 
see what the trouble was. 

“What's that you say?" asked Stubby 
Woodchuck, running up to the foot of 
the tree. 

“ What 's that? What 's that? What 's 
that?" cried Blue Jay, and Jim Crow, 
and ever so many others as they came up. 

“You'd better say, WVhat's that?' " 
Chatty Squirrel chattered. “I just now 
dropped a stone on Ki-yi Coyote, who 
was lying right down there in those 
bushes. He was all ready to pounce on 
Doctor Rabbit and gobble him up!" 

“Indeed!" exclaimed Blue Jay in his 
shrill voice. 

“Indeed!" Jim Crow called in his 
hoarse voice. 

“Indeed!" said big Uncle Owl in his 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


55 


deep bass voice. ‘‘Indeed! Indeed!” 
he exclaimed again seriously, as he 
straightened his spectacles. Now Uncle 
Owl hardly ever said more than one word, 
and when he said three words without 
stopping, it meant something very un- 
usual had happened to him. He was 
almost excited. 

All the little creatures of the Big Green 
Woods kept a respectful silence, even 
Chatty Squirrel, and listened respect- 
fully for Uncle Owl to speak. So big 
Uncle Owl (he was more than twice as 
big as little Downy Owl) cleared his 
throat and looked straight at Chatty 
Squirrel. Then he said, “Well, well, 
why did n't you kill him?” 

“I wish I could have killed him,” 
Chatty Squirrel chattered angrily. “ But 
anyway I hit him. And Doctor Rabbit 
fooled him ever so much, because, you 


56 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


see, Doctor Rabbit was on the other side 
of Murmuring Brook and ran away from 
Ki-yi as easily as anything. But what 
are we going to do?” Chatty went on. 
‘‘Haven’t we got enough to do to live 
without having old Ki-yi Coyote sneak- 
ing around in the Big Green Woods? I 
tell you, my friends, it’s an outrage!” 

Then they all looked at big Uncle 
Owl, and after a while he said in his deep 
voice, “My friends, I think we should 
have Doctor Rabbit call a meeting at 
once and see if we can’t get rid of this 
danger. It would be serious, very seri- 
ous indeed, if Ki-yi Coyote should decide 
to live in the Big Green Woods. He 
might make a meal of almost any of us. 
I ’ve noticed that he is not at all particular 
what he eats, whether it’s a bird or an 
animal. Only yesterday I saw him spring 
from some bunch grass in the prairie 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 57 

and seize a friend of mine, a small owl 
that had just come out of an old hole 
prairie-dog Paddy-Paws used to live in. 

‘'Yes, indeed,'' old Uncle Owl went 
on, much excited for him, “yes, indeed! 
We must find Doctor Rabbit, and see 
what he has to say about it. I'll not 
rest until this terrible Ki-yi Coyote is 
driven entirely away from our Big Green 
Woods." And with that, stately Uncle 
Owl waddled back to his hole in the tree, 
where he stood looking out. 

The other little creatures of the Big 
Green Woods then talked the matter 
over. Blue Jay said that if only they 
all could make as much noise as he could, 
he was sure they could drive Ki-yi Coy- 
ote away with noise alone. But since 
the others could n't make as much 
noise, this pjan had to be given up. 

Gay Red Bird said he surely did wish 


58 DOCTOR RABBIT 

he could think of some scheme to scare 
Ki-yi away, but being a mere bird 
he could n't. Robin-the-Red said so too. 
Stubby Woodchuck and Cheepy Chip- 
munk both said they'd like to do it, but 
they didn't know how, either. They 
all looked at one another, and each one 
waited for some one else to speak. And 
just then they saw Doctor Rabbit coming 
across the woods toward them. 

He was n't running as if he were the 
least bit scared. Oh, no, he was acting 
as if he were glad about something. 
There was no doubt about that, because 
every now and then he would kick up 
his heels and laugh. And the nearer he 
came the more he danced and laughed. 


DOCTOR RABBIT HAS A SCHEME 

Doctor Rabbit came up jumping and 
dancing and laughing. He was certainly 
very much tickled about something, that 
was plain. 

‘'Good morning, my friends,'’ he said 
finally. “I suppose you all have come 
out here to see what Chatty Squirrel is 
scolding about. Has he told you?" 

“Yes, yes, about Ki-yi Coyote!" they 
all said together. 

“Well," Doctor Rabbit said, and he 
laughed again, “I gave old Ki-yi the 
slip pretty easily that time. Indeed I 
did, and Chatty Squirrel and I certainly 
did fool him! I guess we did fool him! 
Ha, ha, ha!" And Doctor Rabbit was 
so tickled he just had to hold his sides 
when he remembered how Ki-yi Coyote 


59 


60 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


had jumped, and how puzzled he had 
looked when the stone hit him. 

“The last I saw of him,'’ Doctor Rab- 
bit said, “he was sneaking along the Wide 
Prairie at the edge of the woods, looking 
for Jack Rabbit; and he was mumbling 
to himself and saying he was going to 
get me and Jack Rabbit too. But I'll 
take care of that. He thinks I'm not 
smart enough for him, but just let him 
wait and see! When I ran away from 
him and got into the briar patch, he 
shouted in at me and said: 

“ 'All right for this time. Doctor Rab- 
bit, but I'll get you the next time, and 
some of your friends, too. In fact, I 
think I like the Big Green Woods, and 
I 'm going to live here. Perhaps I 'll live 
here right along!' " 

That troubled everybody but Doctor 
Rabbit. All the other little creatures of 



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AND KI-YI COYOTE 61 

the Big Green Woods looked seriously 
at one another, and Stubby Woodchuck 
climbed up on a stump and looked 
nervously around. wish we could 
drive Ki-yi Coyote ten miles away, and 
I wish he never could get back!” Stubby 
Woodchuck said, with a very scared 
look on his face. 

‘‘Let's do it!” shouted Blue Jay. 
Blue Jay did n't have the least idea how 
it could be done, but he was willing to 
try, even as small as he was. 

“Perhaps Doctor Rabbit has a plan,” 
said Robin-the-Red. “He usually helps 
us out.” 

Then they all looked at Doctor Rabbit. 
Even old Uncle Owl looked from his 
hole in the tree. 

“Well,” said Doctor Rabbit, cheer- 
fully, “I have been thinking about this 
since yesterday. First I thought out a 


62 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


way for us to catch Ki-yi, but that would 
be pretty dangerous for us, so I have 
decided to try another plan. I think 
my scheme will work, and none of us 
will have to get very close to Ki-yi 
Coyote, either. In fact, I think Jack 
Rabbit and I can do it ourselves, though 
we shall need the help of one very savage 
creature. I will tell you about him 
later/^ 

'‘Let's do it right now!" shouted busy 
Blue Jay. 

"No," Doctor Rabbit said, "it will 
take a little time. I'm going over to 
see Jack Rabbit this very afternoon," 
he continued. "After I have talked 
with him and we are all ready. I'll tell 
Friend Blue Jay and he'll tell you. 
Then all you'll need to do will be to come 
close to this big tree, and hide, and 
watch. You must excuse me now," he 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


63 


said. ‘‘I must go over and see one of 
Frisky Grey Squirrel's children who has 
been eating too many green nuts. Early 
in the morning Blue Jay will tell you 
when we shall be ready." 

And with that Doctor Rabbit went 
away, hoppity, hoppity, hoppity, to see 
the little sick squirrel. 


THE LITTLE CREATURES OF THE 
WOODS ARE EXCITED 

The next day all the little creatures of 
the Big Green Woods talked of nothing 
but fierce Ki-yi Coyote. They wondered 
how Doctor Rabbit ever would drive 
him out of the Wide Prairie. They 
were all unusually careful, of course, 
because they did not know what moment 
Ki-yi Coyote might come tearing along. 

Stubby Woodchuck was afraid to get 
up on his stump to sun himself. He 
only put his head a little way out of his 
door and looked around. Cheepy Chip- 
munk was frisking around his stump and, 
seeing his neighbor. Stubby Woodchuck, 
he called out, ‘'Come on over. Friend 
Stubby. I have some fine vegetables for 
breakfast!’' 


64 


KI-YI COYOTE 


65 


‘'No, thank you,’' Stubby Woodchuck 
said from his doorway. “We had all 
better keep indoors until that dreadful 
Ki-yi Coyote leaves the woods entirely,” 
and Stubby closed his door and went 
back into his kitchen, for he had not 
had his breakfast. 

While Cheepy Chipmunk was frisking 
around he got a terrible scare. He had 
just jumped up on his stump when he 
was sure he saw Ki-yi’s long tail show- 
ing from behind a near-by tree. Poor 
Cheepy fell off backward, he was so 
scared. He picked himself up as fast as 
he could, but when he looked again, 
he saw it was only Chatty Red Squir- 
rel’s tail, blowing from behind the tree. 

“Cheer! cheer! cheer!” shouted Blue 
Jay, who had seen Cheepy Chipmunk 
fall off the stump. “What’s the matter, 
Cheepy? Ha, ha, ha!” 


66 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


“You’d better go and attend to your 
business, if you have any,” retorted 
Cheepy Chipmunk angrily. But saucy 
Blue Jay only laughed again. He under- 
stood Cheepy Chipmunk, and he knew 
he would not stay angry very long. 

“ril wager anything you fell because 
you thought you saw Ki-yi Coyote,” 
shouted saucy Blue Jay; “I’m going out 
to see where he is!” And away he flew. 

Cheepy Chipmunk went inside, where 
Mrs. Chipmunk was getting the vege- 
tables ready for breakfast. Little Jimmy 
Chipmunk, Cheepy and Mrs. Cheepy’s 
small son, was running around after his 
mother as she worked, and asking her 
questions. He had never seen Ki-yi 
Coyote, and so had no idea about his 
size. “Mamma,” he asked, “is Ki-yi 
Coyote as big as one of Farmer Roe’s 
horses? ” 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 67 

‘‘Why, of course not,’’ Mother Chip- 
munk answered. “But he’s big enough, 
and fierce enough too, for that matter; 
and for the present you must not so much 
as poke your nose outside the door.” 

“Will Doctor Rabbit find some way to 
drive Ki-yi Coyote out of the Big Green 
Woods?” Jimmy Chipmunk asked. 

“I believe he will; I do hope so,” 
Mother Chipmunk said. She was a 
good deal worried about Jimmy Chip- 
munk, because he was so often careless, 
and went out without telling her a thing 
about it. 

“I wish,” said Jimmy, crossly, “that 
old Ki-yi would fall down a well so deep 
he never could climb out again. I just 
hate to stay in the house. I want to go 
over right now and play with Johnny 
Woodchuck. I told him I’d come this 
morning.” 


68 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


‘‘I would nT let you go for the world/’ 
Mother Chipmunk said; and then, very 
quietly, she slipped out at the back door 
and climbed up on the stump. But the 
minute she got up on the stump she 
nearly fell off backward, she was so 
scared. You see. Mother Chipmunk’s 
near neighbor climbed up on her stump 
at the very same time, and they were 
both so surprised to see each other 
that they were dreadfully frightened. 

''My sakes alive!” Sophy Woodchuck’s 
voice trembled. "How you did frighten 
me. Neighbor Chipmunk! I suppose we 
all are pretty easily frightened at this 
time. One never knows when that 
terrible Ki-yi Coyote will spring out and 
make an end of us!” 

"I have great faith in Doctor Rabbit,” 
Mother Chipmunk said. She had over- 
heard what Doctor Rabbit had promised 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


69 


the day before. “ He told us yesterday/' 
she continued, “that he will drive Ki-yi 
Coyote clear out of the Big Green Woods 
and clear out of the Wide Prairie." 

“I wonder how in the world he will do 
it!" Sophy Woodchuck said. 

“I haven't the slightest idea," her 
neighbor replied. 

“Well," Sophy Woodchuck said, “we 
don't care how he does it, so long as the 
thing is done." 

“No, indeed!" Mother Chipmunk ex- 
claimed. “If only Ki-yi Coyote is driven 
away." 


DOCTOR RABBIT TALKS WITH 
BIG DOG YAPPY 

You remember how badly scared Sophy 
Woodchuck and Neighbor Chipmunk 
were when they both climbed up on their 
stumps at the same time. Well, after 
their scare was over, they sat on their 
stumps — which were their homes, of 
course — and went on talking about vari- 
ous things that had happened among 
their neighbors of late; but in particular 
they talked about the terrible Ki-yi 
Coyote. 

Then all of a sudden something hap- 
pened that made them jump off their 
stumps, and dart in at their back doors 
and lock them in a hurry. 

They had heard some animal tearing 
through the woods, apparently straight 

70 


KI-YI COYOTE 


71 


at them. As they peeked from their 
windows they naturally thought it was 
Ki-yi Coyote. But it wasn’t. Ki-yi 
Coyote would have been far too smart to 
make so much noise. No, it was Farmer 
Roe’s big dog, Yappy. 

Yappy was n’t running after anything 
in particular. He was just running 
through the woods to take a little exercise 
and enjoy himself. 

Yappy ran around for a time while the 
little creatures of the Big Green Woods 
hid and looked out at him. After he 
had scratched on Cheepy Chipmunk’s 
door and tried to dig into Stubby Wood- 
chuck’s home, Yappy started out of 
the woods as fast as he had come in. 

Just as he passed Doctor Rabbit’s 
house. Doctor Rabbit put his head out 
of a hole pretty well up in the tree and 
said, ‘‘Good morning, Yappy!” 


72 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


Happy Yappy stopped mighty quick 
and looked all around. He could nT see 
anybody at first, and he wondered who 
it was that had spoken. Stubby and 
Mrs. Stubby and Cheepy and Mrs. 
Cheepy came to their windows to peek 
out and listen. Robin-the-Red, Jim 
Crow, and ever so many other of the little 
creatures of the Big Green Woods also 
listened. They wondered what Doctor 
Rabbit would say to Yappy. 

After gazing around and up a little, 
Yappy at last saw Doctor Rabbit looking 
from the hole up in the tree. 

‘'Why, good morning. Doctor!'’ Yappy 
said, in his pleasantest voice. “Come 
down on the grass here; you will be more 
comfortable." 

“No, thank you," Doctor Rabbit said, 
“I'd rather talk from up here. You 
look pretty hungry, and I just wanted to 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


73 


ask you how you would like to have Jack 
Rabbit for your breakfast to-morrow 
morning?'' 

This was a question that was a little 
hard for Yappy to answer, under the 
circumstances. Rabbit was his favorite 
dish, when he could get one. He saw he 
could not get Doctor Rabbit, and he 
thought Doctor Rabbit was just making 
fun of him. Of course, Yappy was 
pretty angry. He was all the more angry 
because, although he had chased Jack 
Rabbit many times, he never had been 
able to catch him. Still, he was always 
willing to try again. 

'‘That's all right about my wanting 
Jack Rabbit," Yappy snapped; "I could 
catch him in no time if I wanted to." 

Doctor Rabbit almost laughed out loud 
at this, but he did n't, because that might 
have spoiled what he wanted to do. 


74 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


‘‘Why, of course,’' Doctor Rabbit said 
in his most friendly tones. “And I have 
decided I’ll give you a chance at him. 
In fact, I have been watching for you to 
tell you this very thing. Now, all you 
have to do,” Doctor Rabbit continued, 
“is to go where I tell you, and when 1 
tell you, and you will run right on to 
him.” 

Yappy was certainly puzzled about 
this matter. Why, he wondered, did 
Doctor Rabbit want to get rid of Jack 
Rabbit? “Oh, well,” Yappy thought to 
himself, “perhaps Jack Rabbit has been 
over in the Big Green Woods cufhng 
Doctor Rabbit; or maybe it is just be- 
cause Doctor Rabbit is angry at Jack 
Rabbit for something or other he ’s 
done.” 

“Well” — and Yappy tried to say it 
as if he was not very much interested — 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


75 


‘‘Well, I don't care much, but if you want 
to, you may tell me when and where I 
can find him." 

“Good!" said Doctor Rabbit, and then 
he continued, “He'll be in a new burrow 
right by the first tree you come to 
out in the Wide Prairie. And he'll be 
there to-morrow morning at exactly nine 
o'clock." 

“How do you know that?" Yappy 
asked with deep curiosity. 

“Never mind how I know," Doctor 
Rabbit retorted. “ He 'll be there as sure 
as anything." 

Yappy yawned as if it did n't make 
much difference to him. Then he said, 
“Well, I guess I'll be moving," and 
away he ran through the woods until he 
was out of sight. 

Doctor Rabbit chuckled to himself. 
He knew mighty well that Yappy 


76 DOCTOR RABBIT 

interested, even if he did try to act as 
if he did n't care. And he knew the 
greedy fellow would be at that tree at 
nine the next morning, too. 

Of course the other little creatures of 
the Big Green Woods were much puzzled 
that Doctor Rabbit should seem to have 
turned so quickly against Jack Rabbit. 
But the next morning they found out all 
about it. And something happened of 
which they had never even dreamed. 


DOCTOR RABBIT TALKS WITH 
JACK RABBIT 

You remember how Doctor Rabbit 
looked out of a hole and told Farmer 
Roe’s dog Yappy about catching Jack 
Rabbit. Well, after Yappy had run 
away and was out of sight in the woods, 
Doctor Rabbit concluded he’d better 
see Jack Rabbit right away. So he 
slipped quietly out of his house and ran 
through the woods toward the Wide 
Prairie. 

Doctor Rabbit was lucky, because 
Jack Rabbit happened to be right on the 
edge of the woods. And Jack Rabbit 
said his son Billy was very much better. 

am very grateful,” continued Jack 
Rabbit, '‘and I wish I could do something 
now to make you as happy as I am.” 


77 


78 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


‘‘You certainly can/' Doctor Rabbit 
said. “Do you remember the day Ki-yi 
Coyote chased us out on the Wide 
Prairie, and I threw the medicine in his 
mouth?" 

“I certainly do," said Jack Rabbit. 
“And when we got safely over to your 
house, you said you were thinking about 
a plan to drive Ki-yi Coyote clear away 
from the Big Green Woods and the Wide 
Prairie forever. Is that what you want 
me to do?" 

“Yes," said Doctor Rabbit, “that's 
exactly what I was going to speak about. 
I want you to help me. Will you do it? " 

“Why," declared Jack Rabbit, “I 
should say I will, if I can. But how can 
I help? All you need to do is to*tell me 
what to do and I will do it." 

“Don't be too sure you will," Doc- 
tor Rabbit warned in a friendly way. 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


79 


‘‘What I want you to do has some danger 
in it. Are you much afraid of Farmer 
Roe's Yappy?" 

“Why, why, of course," Jack Rabbit 
hesitated; “that is, I — I — wouldn't 
want to fight him!" 

“Ha, ha, ha!" Doctor Rabbit could n't 
keep from laughing at the idea of Jack 
Rabbit's fighting Yappy. 

“I don't want you to fight him," Doc- 
tor Rabbit said, “but would you be 
willing to let him chase you?" 

“Surely," exclaimed Jack Rabbit 
quickly. “ I 've given him the slip many 
a time." 

“Suppose," said Doctor Rabbit, “that 
Yappy and one of his dog friends both 
should get after you, could you get 
away?" 

“Yes, sir," Jack Rabbit said; “I've 
given both of those hounds the slip. 


80 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


They are just fox hounds, and Tm not 
the least bit afraid when they get after 
me. But what has that to do with 
driving Ki-yi Coyote away?'' 

“Just this," said Doctor Rabbit, mov- 
ing a little closer. “At nine o'clock 
to-morrow morning Ki-yi Coyote is going 
to be right under that big elm where he 
was this morning, to catch me. Chatty 
Squirrel heard him say he was. He said, 
‘Yes, I'll come every morning and hide 
there until I do catch that big fat rabbit' 
— meaning me, of course." 

“Oh, I see! I see!" laugned Jack 
Rabbit, and he began to dance a little 
jig of joy. “ I know what you want me 
to do," Jack Rabbit laughed. “You 
want me to let big old Yappy and his 
friend get after me, and then you want 
me to run straight for that big elm, and 
so lead Yappy and the other hound 



Kr. Jack Ralj'bit l)e0an to dance 

a little jig of joy 




AND KI-YI COYOTE 81 

right onto old Ki-yi. And then they 
will chase him instead of me!” 

“That’s it! that’s it!” said Doctor 
Rabbit. He was mighty glad that Jack 
Rabbit did not seem at all afraid. 
“And,” Doctor Rabbit continued, “when 
Yappy and his companion once see Ki-yi 
Coyote, they will forget all about you, 
and you can get away as easily as any- 
thing.” 

“Oh, ho, ho, ho! ha, ha, ha!” laughed 
Jack Rabbit. It seemed too good to 
be true that they could fool crafty Ki-yi, 
and fool him so completely. Old Ki-yi, 
who was always getting the best of 
things, would now get some of the other 
side. So thought happy Jack-Rabbit. 

“That certainly will be mighty fine!” 
cried Jack Rabbit. “Ki-yi Coyote will 
be there, smacking his lips, all ready to 
gobble you up; and the first thing he 


82 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


knows, I 'll pop square over him, and the 
next second, Yappy will pop square onto 
him, if he does n't move mighty quick. 
Ho, ho, ho!" Jack Rabbit danced and 
laughed some more. ‘‘Yes, indeed. Doc- 
tor Rabbit," he said, “I'll surely be at 
the tree in the Wide Prairie to-morrow 
morning at nine o'clock. Then be sure 
to tell all the little creatures of the Big 
Green Woods to watch and see what 
happens." 

“I will indeed," said Doctor Rabbit, 
as he started off; “and thank you," he 
said, “for your bravery." 


OLD UNCLE OWL GIVES 
GOOD ADVICE 

You remember how Doctor Rabbit 
asked Jack Rabbit to do a rather risky 
thiig to drive Ki-yi Coyote out of the 
Big Green Woods. Well, the next morn- 
ing after this, Friend Jack Rabbit was 
up a good while before daylight. To 
tell the truth, he had not slept very 
much during the night. No, sir; he just 
could n't get to sleep because he kept 
thinking about that joke he and Doctor 
Rabbit were to play on wicked old 
Ki-yi Coyote. 

Of course, it was not all fun, either. I 
should say not! You see, greedy Yappy 
would certainly gobble up Jack Rabbit 
if he could get him. But Jack Rabbit 
was not very much afraid, because he 
83 


84 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


had run away from Yappy a good many 
times before. 

No, brave Jack Rabbit didn’t stay 
awake because he was scared. I suppose 
he couldn’t sleep for about the same 
reason that boys sometimes stay awake 
when the circus comes to town. And the 
boys used to get up before daylight to 
go and see the animals, and perhaps some 
of them do it yet. 

Yes, Jack Rabbit was very, very curi- 
ous. He wondered if Ki-yi Coyote would 
really hide in the Big Green Woods under 
the elm tree, as Doctor Rabbit had said 
he would. 

So, about four in the morning. Jack 
Rabbit slipped away and went over to 
watch along the edge of the woods. He 
had not been there long when, yes, siri 
Sure enough! There came Ki-yi Coyote 
sneaking along and looking all around 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 85 

to make sure, as he thought, that nobody 
saw him. 

As slinky Ki-yi Coyote slipped along 
he came pretty close to Jack Rabbit, and 
then Jack Rabbit lay mighty still. In- 
deed he did ! He hardly dared to breathe 
until Ki-yi Coyote had passed from sight 
beneath the big elm farther on in the 
woods. Then Jack Rabbit just kicked 
up his heels and danced for joy. He 
wanted to laugh too, ever so much, but 
he did n’t dare, because sharp-eared 
Ki-yi might hear him. No, Jack Rabbit 
ran clear back to his tree before he 
laughed, and then he laughed as loudly 
as he wanted to. “I can scarcely wait 
until nine o’clock comes,” he said, after 
he had laughed again and danced an- 
other jig of joy. 

Stubby Woodchuck had heard Doctor 
Rabbit talking with Yappy, and so as 


86 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


often as Stubby saw one of the little 
creatures of the Big Green Woods, he 
told him about it. It was not long 
before every one of them knew, and they 
wondered why kind Doctor Rabbit had 
told Yappy where to find Jack Rabbit. 
In fact, they really could n't understand 
it at all, because Doctor Rabbit was so 
good and kind to everybody. 

But when Uncle Owl heard about it, 
he looked very wise and said to a number 
of the little creatures of the Big Green 
Woods, ‘‘I'm sure you need not be 
troubled, my friends; for I think we shall 
find that this has something to do with 
getting Ki-yi Coyote away from the Big 
Green Woods and the Wide Prairie. 
Bear in mind, I say I only suspect it 
does," and with another very wise look 
Uncle Owl walked back to his hole in the 
tree, and there stood looking toward the 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 87 

big elm where Ki-yi Coyote lay hiding 
and watching for Doctor Rabbit. 

Then about a half hour before nine 
o'clock, busy Blue Jay flew all over the 
Big Green Woods and told all the little 
creatures of the woods to go as close as 
they dared to the big elm where Ki-yi 
Coyote lay, and then watch. 

When some of them tried to have Blue 
Jay stop and talk, he said he did n't 
have time. He said he was in the biggest 
hurry he had ever known. “ You watch ! 
You watch!" he would cry back at them 
as he flew away to tell others. 

Before long they were all either flying 
or creeping toward the big elm. They 
did n't know what Doctor Rabbit's plan 
was, of course, but they believed some- 
thing mighty interesting was going to 
happen. When they were all hidden, 
some of them kept up such a whispering 


88 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


it seemed as if Ki-yi must surely hear. 
Each one said it wasn't he who whis- 
pered, until presently Uncle Owl called 
out loudly from his tree, ‘‘ Who ? " Then 
they did keep still. Because there was 
Uncle Owl looking right at them. 


YAPPY CHASES KI-YI COYOTE 
All the little creatures of the Big 
Green Woods were looking toward the 
big elm where Ki-yi Coyote was hiding 
and were wondering what would happen. 

Then all of a sudden they heard big- 
mouthed Yappy baying away out on the 
Wide Prairie. Pretty soon they heard 
another hound baying. 

It was quite true that Jack Rabbit 
had been started up at last. He had 
waited at the tree, and it had seemed as 
though nine o’clock never would come. 
At last when he saw Yappy and his 
friend coming, he was really glad. 

When they were pretty close. Jack 
Rabbit sprang up, put his long ears 
straight in the air, and away he went. 
You see, when he does n’t have to run 


89 


90 DOCTOR RABBIT 

very fast, he keeps his ears straight up 
in the air; but when he has to run as fast 
as he can — the way he did when Speedy 
Grey Hound got after him — then he 
lays his long ears down fiat to his head. 
And how he does run! He looks like a 
streak, he goes so fast. 

Jack Rabbit was not much afraid of 
Yappy, because you see, Yappy was only 
a fox hound. Now a fox hound is dan- 
gerous enough at night, when he is on 
the trail of Ray Coon or O. Possum, but 
he can't do any harm in the daytime to 
swift Jack Rabbit on the Wide Prairie. 

Big Yappy and his friend, the other 
fox hound, had been trained to trail, 
at night, nothing but Ray Coon and O. 
Possum and Tom Wildcat. But in the 
daytime they certainly did like to start 
up Jack Rabbit. Most of all, though, 
they liked to start up Ki-yi Coyote. 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 91 

“There he goes!'' shouted happy 
Yappy to his friend, as Jack Rabbit 
jumped up; and away they all went. 
And Jack Rabbit, of course, led them 
straight away for the Big Green Woods. 

As they ran. Jack Rabbit kept thinking 
to himself, “I surely do hate to run so 
close to Ki-yi Coyote. Indeed, I do! 
Just suppose he should go after me as 
hard as ever he could." Then he would 
comfort himself by thinking, “But then, 
he'll never do it with the two hounds 
chasing him. I'll be all right. Yes, 
I'll just keep going. My, but I wish 
I could kick old Ki-yi right on the nose 
as I go past him!" 

But wise Jack Rabbit said to himself 
that as soon as he had started up Ki-yi 
Coyote, he would run right back to the 
Wide Prairie, where there was plenty of 
room, because he might need it. 


92 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


While all the little creatures of the Big 
Green Woods were looking and wonder- 
ing, Doctor Rabbit bounded into the 
woods from somewhere. In a jiffy he 
was in his tree, looking out from an 
upper window. 

The two hounds were coming after 
Jack Rabbit as fast as they could, yelling 
terribly at each other, and saying that 
this time they certainly would catch him. 

But Jack Rabbit was very wise. He 
ran a little slower until the two hounds 
were fearfully close, and all the little 
creatures of the Big Green Woods looking 
on were dreadfully scared for poor Jack 
Rabbit. In fact. Mother Chipmunk and 
Sophy Woodchuck began to weep, and 
wipe their eyes with the corners of their 
aprons, because they said something had 
surely gone wrong with Jack Rabbit and 
this was the last of him. It would be 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 93 

terrible, they said; and how would Mrs. 
Jack Rabbit ever make a living for all 
that family of little rabbits out on the 
Wide Prairie? 

The next minute Jack Rabbit ran 
straight for the big elm. He saw Ki-yi 
Coyote lying with his body close to the 
ground. Old Ki-yi Coyote had seen them 
coming, but he thought, of course, he 
would just watch and see Jack Rabbit 
and the hounds go by. Then suddenly, 
before he could realize it. Jack Rabbit 
leaped clear over startled Ki-yi. ‘‘Ki yi ! 
Ki-yi!'’ he shouted, 'HVe brought you 
some company. Here they are. Good 
day! I must be going!" And away 
went Jack Rabbit out of sight. 

Well, Ki-yi Coyote was both surprised 
and angry. He was about the angriest 
he had ever been in his life. But what 
could he do? Well, he couldn't do a 


94 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


thing except tear out of the woods as 
hard as he could go. And then how all 
the little creatures of the Big Green 
Woods did laugh, even Mother Chip- 
munk and Sophy Woodchuck! 

Now when Yappy and his friend saw 
Ki-yi Coyote jump up, they shouted for 
joy. '‘Woo! woo! woo!’' shouted Yappy 
gaily to his friend. "Sly old Ki-yi! 
Woo, woo, woo! Here he is right under 
our noses! Now we’ll see about him! 
Woo, woo, woo!” And away they went 
after Ki-yi Coyote. Ki-yi was so mad 
he could have bitten a nail if there had 
been one handy, but, mad or no mad, 
he had to run as hard as he could. 

Now the little creatures of the Big 
Green Woods all hurried to the edge of 
the woods and looked on as Yappy and 
his friend started out across the Wide 
Prairie after Ki-yi Coyote. 


KI-YI COYOTE’S STRANGE 
HIDING PLACE 

How Ki-yi Coyote did run when he got 
out on the Wide Prairie ! He thought he 
would run as fast as possible, and so get 
out of sight and hide from the two 
hounds. Sure enough, sly Ki-yi did this 
very thing. He ran so fast that pretty 
soon he passed from sight over a little 
hill, and it certainly looked as if he had 
escaped. Old Ki-yi thought he had, and 
as he hid in some tall grass, he chuckled 
to himself to think how easy it was to 
get away from his enemies. ‘‘I’ll just 
wait and rest here,” he said. “Ha, ha, 
ha! I’ll get my rabbit for breakfast 
yet!” 

But Ki-yi Coyote had no more than 
said that than here came Yappy and the 


95 


96 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


oth^r hound right on his trail. And they 
kept coming right on and sniffing and 
smelling Ki-yi's tracks until they were so 
close that Ki-yi had to spring up and run 
again. Once more he ran fast and hid, 
but again he was trailed, and again he 
had to jump up and run. 

They kept this up all morning, until 
Ki-yi Coyote was getting pretty tired. 
Then, a little later, he was so dreadfully 
tired that what do you suppose he did? 
No, he didn't stop to fight, although 
cowardly Ki-yi sometimes does do that. 
He thought about it, but after he had 
looked back he said to himself, ‘‘No, I 
won't stop to fight. I 'm not quite able 
to tackle Yappy and that other big 
hound, too. I 'm going to do something 
else. I'm going where I can rest." 

And he did. He ran straight for 
Farmer Roe's corn crib and squeezed 



He ran straigM for 

Mr. r^mer'is corn-crib 



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AND KI-YI COYOTE 


97 


under it! The dirt was soft and cool 
under there, and tired Ki-yi stretched 
out and made himself very comfortable. 
Then Yappy and his friend ran up to the 
hole where Ki-yi Coyote had gone under 
the corn crib, and began barking for all 
they were worth; and presently Farmer 
Roe and his boy came out and looked 
under the corn crib. They were cer- 
tainly surprised to see Ki-yi hidden under 
there, and they decided at once that they 
would try to catch him alive. 

The two hounds kept on barking, and 
Farmer Roe and his boy went right to 
work fixing something outside; but Ki-yi 
did not know what they were doing, and 
he felt pretty safe. 

All this time the little creatures of the 
Big Green Woods had looked on from the 
edge of the Wide Prairie. Blue Jay was 
in the very top of the big elm, and he 


98 DOCTOR RABBIT 

called down every now and then to tell 
just what was happening. 

When Ki-yi Coyote ran under the corn 
crib, Doctor Rabbit slipped up pretty 
close to Farmer Roe’s house. He got a 
good hiding place in some weeds, where 
he could see all that happened. 

After a while Farmer Roe and his boy 
got some kind of a box fixed, and this 
they placed over the hole into which 
Ki-yi Coyote had run. Then they took 
the two hounds away and locked them 
in the barn. Doctor Rabbit slipped back 
to the woods. 

'‘They’ve got it all fixed to catch 
Ki-yi alive!” he told the other little 
creatures of the Big Green Woods. 

"How do you know?” they asked in 
a chorus. 

"I heard them say so; and now you 
just wait and see!” Doctor Rabbit said. 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 


99 


Then he slipped back again to hide in 
the weeds and watch. 

Of course he had to be very careful, 
because Yappy might come tearing out 
into the weeds at any moment. But 
Doctor Rabbit’s eyes are very sharp. 
He was sure he could see any danger if 
it came near, so he was not much afraid. 


CATCHING KI-YI COYOTE 

All afternoon Doctor Rabbit watched 
the strange box that Farmer Roe had 
placed at the hole where Ki-yi Coyote 
had gone under the corn crib, but nothing 
happened. Toward evening Doctor Rab- 
bit came back to the little creatures 
waiting in the woods. He looked very 
wisely at them and said: 

‘'My friends, nothing more has hap- 
pened as yet, but I feel quite certain that 
Ki-yi Coyote will be caught. I 'm pretty 
tired now and must have my supper. 
Just as soon as it is daylight. Jack Rabbit 
and I will slip over again and watch, and 
see what Farmer Roe and his boy do 
about that box.’’ 

At this all the little creatures of the 
Big Green Woods began talking at once. 


100 


KI-YI COYOTE 


101 


Then they bade Doctor Rabbit good- 
night, and went back to their homes to 
await the news. 

The next morning they were all startled 
by hearing noisy Blue Jay shouting, 
‘Xome here! Come here, all of you! 
Doctor Rabbit told me to call you. Old 
Ki-yi is caught, and I can see him. I 
can see him!’' 

Well, you should have seen all those 
little creatures of the Big Green Woods 
tumbling out of their homes! Stubby 
Woodchuck came tearing out of his front 
door, and before he knew it, bumped 
into Cheepy Chipmunk, and knocked 
him over. They were both mad about 
it for a minute. Stubby got bumped on 
the ear and Cheepy got a bump on the 
nose, but in the excitement they forgot 
their anger and hurried to the edge of 
the Wide Prairie, where all the other 


102 DOCTOR RABBIT 

little creatures of the Big Green Woods 
seemed to be gathering. 

Chatty Red Squirrel came out of his 
house so fast he ran square into Frisky 
Grey Squirrel, and then Neighbor Grey 
was provoked. He said he never did 
know a Red Squirrel that had any man- 
ners; but Chatty Red Squirrel kept right 
on running, and so Frisky Grey Squirrel 
forgot his crossness and ran too, as fast 
as he could, with the other excited little 
creatures of the Big Green Woods. 

In almost no time they all had reached 
the edge of the woods. Then they all 
looked toward Farmer Roe’s house and 
the strange box. 


THE LITTLE CREATURES OF 
THE WOODS ARE HAPPY AGAIN 
When the little creatures of the Big 
Green Woods looked toward Farmer 
Roe's house, they saw Doctor Rabbit 
behind a fence post, watching. 

Yes, it was true: Ki-yi Coyote was in 
that box! They knew it because several 
times they heard Farmer Roe's boy say, 
'‘We got him! I was sure he would 
come out in the night!" 

Then the little creatures of the Big 
Green Woods wondered what Farmer 
Roe was doing. He went into the barn 
several times and brought out some 
boards, a hammer, and a saw. First he 
sawed the boards, and then he hammered 
and nailed ever so long. 

After a while all the little creatures 

103 


104 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


of the Big Green Woods could see what 
Farmer Roe was doing. He was making 
a kind of wood and wire cage for Ki-yi 
Coyote. When it was all ready, Farmer 
Roe and his son put the cage against the 
box that Ki-yi Coyote was in. Then 
Farmer Roe's boy poked Ki-yi with a 
long stick and drove him into the cage. 
Then as the farmer and his boy stood 
looking at dusty Ki-yi in the cage, they 
talked for quite a long time; but the 
little creatures of the Big Green Woods 
could not hear what was said. At last 
Farmer Roe and his boy went into the 
house. Then wise Doctor Rabbit came 
running back to the woods and said it 
was mighty fine the way things were 
turning out. 

‘‘They are going to load Ki-yi Coyote 
into a wagon, take him to the city, and 
sell him to the men who have charge of 


AND KI-YI COYOTE 105 


a big park there/' said Doctor Rabbit 
excitedly. 

'‘That's fine! Splendid!" shouted all 
the little creatures of the Big Green 
Woods. "Hurrah for Doctor Rabbit 
and his scheme for getting rid of Ki-yi 
Coyote!" 

"And now," shouted Cheepy Chip- 
munk, mounting a stump and speaking 
so that all could hear, "I want you all 
to come right down to my house for 
dinner. Mother Chipmunk wants all of 
you!" 

"Fine!" shouted Jimmy Chipmunk. 
"I'll get something good to eat, be- 
cause company's coming!" His mother 
frowned at him, but no one thought any- 
thing about what Jimmy had said, they 
were so delighted to get the invitation; 
because Mother Chipmunk was about 
the best cook in the whole woods. 


106 


DOCTOR RABBIT 


Then away they all went toward 
Cheepy Chipmunk's house, talking and 
laughing and shouting. And Billy Rab- 
bit and Jimmy Chipmunk and Johnny 
Woodchuck kicked up their heels and 
ran after each other all the way, they 
were so happy. 

It was a fine thing, they all said, to be 
going to such a good dinner, and to know 
that Ki-yi Coyote would not trouble 
them any more. They declared that 
they had never been so happy in all 
their lives before. 


WHAT UNCLE OWL WHISPERED 
Did n't you ever wish and wish and 
wish that you could know what the 
squirrel is chattering about, 
and what the cricket is 
saying when he sings his 
chirpy little song, and what 
the big owl really means 
when he says '‘Whoo- 
whoo-oo ’ ’ ? Lucky Peter 
Patter does know, for all the animals 
tell him funny things; and the best part 
of it is that Peter isn't selfish! He has 
told all his charming little rimes to 
Leroy F. Jackson, who has let Rand 
McNally & Company print them in a 
beautiful big book, with pictures by 
Blanche Fisher Wright. You can find it 
in any bookstore for $1.50. Its name 
is The Peter Patter Book, Don't you 
like Peter's picture? 



IN THE CIRCUS TENT 
''If I was a bear/’ boasted Jack, as 
they walked past the animal cages in the 
circus tent, '‘and strong as strong, I 


wouldn ’t stay in a 
cage and go round 
with a circus. I ’d 
live in the woods.” 



" If I was a tiger,” echoed Nancy, "and 
could creepy-crawl like a big cat. I’d 
never let ’em put me in a circus.” 

"If you’d like to know why they’re 
all here,” said Mother, with a smile, 
"we’ll stop on the way home and buy 
Elizabeth Gale’s stories about How the 
Animals Came to the Circus, Warner 
Carr drew the pictures and Rand Mc- 
Nally & Company made the book, and 
we can get it at any shop for 50 cents.” 



THE CAT THAT FIDDLED 
You Ve known Tom, the Piper's son, 
for a long, long time, but did you ever 
know that he had a 
pet cat which fid- 
dled so merrily that 
even the King just 
couldn't keep his 
feet still? And did 
you know that Little Miss Muffet had 
a Mother who had an Aunt who could 
be cured of a sick-a-bed illness only by 
eating hot buttered muffins? And did 
you know — O, ever so many more things 
about your Mother Goose friends? If 
you didn't, let Louise A. Garnett and 
James McCracken tell you in The Merry- 
makers. Rand McNally & Company 
have made their rimes and pictures into 
a book which you may buy in the shops 
for $1.00. 



OPEN YOUR EYES! 

Perhaps you didn’t 
know it, but the Little 
People who are so busy 
making the seed babies 
lie straight in their 
beds and driving off 
Jack Frost when he wants to nip the 
snowball blossoms love to talk to all 
children. But many children — would 
you believe it? — shut their ears and 
eyes and never hear them or even see 
them. Loraine was different, and they 
told her the most delightful things. 
Maybe it will help you to see and hear 
these Little People if you read about 
them in a book called Loraine and the 
Little People of Spring, Elizabeth Gor- 
don and Rand McNally & Company 
made the book,- which you may buy in 
any bookstore for 50 cents. 

















